Method and system for multiple-hop relayed directional wireless communication

Abstract

Multiple-hop relayed directional beam formed wireless communication (mm-wave mesh network) method and apparatus which takes place at the PHY layer. Network capability is enhanced by improving routing protocols between neighboring STAs when communicating from an originating STA, through intermediate STAs, to a destination STA. The routing takes into consideration antenna sector selection to limit interference with neighboring STAs, and channel time utilization to increase throughput. Link metrics and channel times are established for optimizing routing and the determination of intermediate stations between an originating STA and a destination STA. The apparatus and method balances both end-end path link quality and interference impact.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for wireless communication between stations (STAs) using directional transmission/reception, comprising:
 (a) a wireless communication station (STA) configured for mm-wave communication, in which said STA, and nearby STA instances of the apparatus are configured for performing sector sweep and feedback signaling to exchange antenna sector information; 
 (b) a transmitter of said wireless communication station (STA) configured for generating directional radio transmissions to other wireless radio communication devices which are in range; 
 (c) a receiver of said wireless communication station (STA) configured for receiving radio transmissions from other wireless radio communication devices; 
 (d) a computer processor coupled to said transmitter and said receiver for controlling communications between itself and other wireless radio communication devices; 
 (e) a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions executable by the computer processor; 
 (f) wherein said instructions, when executed by the computer processor, perform steps comprising:
 (i) exchanging quantized channel gain, or path loss, information of each antenna sector with one or more neighboring stations; 
 (ii) recording received quantized channel gain information from communication with neighboring stations; 
 (iii) generating route discovery messages to neighboring stations when establishing a multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station; and 
 (iv) processing received route discovery messages by (A) determining link metrics with a neighboring station that generated the route discovery message, (B) considering interference impact when determining transmit antenna sector to a neighboring station as a potential next hop in the routing path; (C) propagating the route discovery message to a neighbor station if the station is not the destination station; 
 (v) wherein channel time utilization and impact to ongoing traffic at neighboring stations are utilized in determining interference impact when establishing the multiple hop routing path. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein interference impact is considered in response to checking multiple antenna sectors for use and selecting a sector based on link quality and/or interference impact to neighboring stations (STAs). 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication station (STA) mutually exchanges quantized channel gain information and traffic activity information with neighboring stations before route discovery takes place. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein channel times are assigned when the multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein channel times are assigned in response to transmitting assigned channel time information inside the route discovery message. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising accumulating and utilizing forward link and reverse link metrics from route discovery messages when determining the routing path. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said discovery messages are utilized for transmitting received signal quality information during the route discovery process. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for wireless communication between stations (STAs) using directional transmission/reception, comprising:
 (a) a wireless communication station (STA) configured for mm-wave communication, in which said STA, and nearby STA instances of the apparatus are configured for performing sector sweep and feedback signaling to exchange antenna sector information; 
 (b) a transmitter of said wireless communication station (STA) configured for generating directional radio transmissions to other wireless radio communication devices which are in range; 
 (c) a receiver of said wireless communication station (STA) configured for receiving radio transmissions from other wireless radio communication devices; 
 (d) a computer processor coupled to said transmitter and said receiver for controlling communications between itself and other wireless radio communication devices; 
 (e) a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions executable by the computer processor; 
 (f) wherein said instructions, when executed by the computer processor, perform steps comprising:
 (i) exchanging quantized channel gain, or path loss, information of each antenna sector with one or more neighboring stations; 
 (ii) recording received quantized channel gain information from communication with neighboring stations; 
 (iii) generating route discovery messages to neighboring stations when establishing a multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station; and 
 (iv) processing received route discovery messages by (A) determining link metrics with a neighboring station that generated the route discovery message, (B) considering interference impact when determining transmit antenna sector to a neighboring station as a potential next hop in the routing path; (C) propagating the route discovery message to a neighbor station if the station is not the destination station; 
 (v) wherein interference impact is considered in response to checking multiple antenna sectors for use and selecting a sector based on link quality and/or interference impact to neighboring stations (STAs); and 
 (vi) wherein channel time utilization and impact to ongoing traffic at neighboring stations are utilized in determining interference impact when establishing the multiple hop routing path. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said wireless communication station (STA) mutually exchanges quantized channel gain information and traffic activity information with neighboring stations before route discovery takes place. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein channel times are assigned when the multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein channel times are assigned in response to transmitting assigned channel time information inside the route discovery message. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising accumulating and utilizing forward link and reverse link metrics from route discovery messages when determining the routing path. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said discovery messages are utilized for transmitting received signal quality information during the route discovery process. 
     
     
       14. A method for performing wireless communication between stations (STAs) using directional transmission/reception, comprising:
 (a) exchanging quantized channel gain, or path loss, information of each antenna sector with one or more neighboring stations (STAs) which are configured for mm-wave communication and sector sweep and feedback signaling to exchange antenna sector information between STAs which are configured for generating directional radio transmissions to other wireless radio communication devices which are in range, and for receiving radio transmissions from other wireless radio communication devices; 
 (b) recording received quantized channel gain information from communication with neighboring stations; 
 (c) generating route discovery messages to neighboring stations when establishing a multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station; and 
 (d) processing received route discovery messages by (A) determining link metrics with a neighboring station that generated the route discovery message, (B) considering interference impact when determining transmit antenna sector to a neighboring station as a potential next hop in the routing path; (C) propagating the route discovery message to a neighbor station if the station is not the destination station; 
 (e) wherein channel time utilization and impact to ongoing traffic at neighboring stations are utilized in determining interference impact when establishing the multiple hop routing path. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein interference impact is considered in response to checking multiple antenna sectors for use and selecting a sector based on link quality and/or interference impact to neighboring stations (STAs). 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein channel times are assigned when the multiple hop routing path from an originating station to a destination station. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising accumulating and utilizing forward link and reverse link metrics from route discovery messages when determining the routing path. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said discovery messages are utilized for transmitting received signal quality information during the route discovery process.